Khieu Samphan

Khieu Samphan received a bursary to study in France in 1955 and published his doctoral dissertation “Cambodia's economy and industrial development”.

Upon his return to Cambodia, Khieu Samphan became a professor before being appointed Secretary of State for Trade in Sihanouk’s regime in 1962.

Under threat from Sihanouk’s security forces, he allegedly went into hiding in 1967 and reemerged within the Khmer Rouge resistance in the early 1970s.

In 1976 he was appointed Democratic Kampuchea’s Head of State. He succeeded Pol Pot after the latter retired as the official head of the Khmer Rouge in 1987, and represented Democratic Kampuchea at the 1989 International Conference on Cambodia in Paris.

After pledging allegiance to the Cambodian government in 1998, he left the Khmer Rouge and lived in the north-western province of Pailin until being arrested in placed in provisional detention at the ECCC in November 2007.

Head of State (Chairman of the State Presidium) of Democratic Kampuchea.

Status of case

Khieu Samphan has been indicted and sent to trial for Crimes against Humanity, Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Genocide, offences which are defined and punishable under Articles 4,5, 6, 29 (New) and 39 (New) of the Law on the Establishment of the Extraordinary Chambers as amended on 27 October 2004.

The charges against Khieu Samphan have been separated (severed) into two trials (Case 002/01 and case 002/02).

The initial hearing in the trial was held 27-30 June 2011, and the substantive part of the trial in Case 002/01 commenced with opening statements on 21 November 2011, and ended with final statements on 31 October 2013. The trial judgment was pronounced on 7 August 2014.

Khieu Samphan was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment. On 23 November 2016, the Supreme Court Chamber quashed part of the convictions but affirmed life imprisonment for Khieu Samphan in Case 002/01.

Trial hearings in Case 002/02 commenced on 17 October 2014. The presentation of evidence started on 8 January 2015 and concluded on 11 January 2017.

Closing statements were held from 13 -23 June 2017. The trial judgment in Case 002/02 is expected in the second quarter of 2018.

Key allegations

Khieu Samphan is alleged to be responsible, through his acts or omissions (committed via a joint criminal enterprise), for having planned, instigated, ordered, or aided and abetted, or being responsible by virtue of superior responsibility, for the following crimes committed between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979:

Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (wilful killing, torture or inhumane treatment, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, wilfully depriving a prisoner of war or civilian the rights of fair and regular trial, unlawful deportation or unlawful confinement of a civilian)